loader from loading.io

Bonus Episode – 2018 – The Year in Review

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Release Date: 12/31/2018

185 – Inventing Conservatism with Daniel J. Flynn show art 185 – Inventing Conservatism with Daniel J. Flynn

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Few forerunners of the modern conservative movement are as important, little known, and underappreciated as Frank Meyer.  Meyer possessed the IT factor that made women want him and men want to be associated with him.  He used that in his early years to advance Marxism in England—building an impressive Marxist organization that had the attention of UK’s government, dating the Prime Minister’s daughter while calling for the violent overthrow of the Prime Minister’s government, and becoming a national celebrity as the nation debated whether he should be exiled.  But later...

info_outline
Roundtable - Is Trump A Fascist? show art Roundtable - Is Trump A Fascist?

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Some Americans warn Trump's antics in this second term are flirting with fascism while others say that's totally whacked. So which is it? Is Trump a fascist or nothing of the kind? Join our livestream as our panelists engage over the topic. Panelists include: Josh Lewis (host), Mike Taylor, Blake Fischer, John Giokaris, Steve Phelps, and Kent Straith

info_outline
184 – Paradigming Phenomenological Essences with Steven Hayward show art 184 – Paradigming Phenomenological Essences with Steven Hayward

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Steven Hayward has been involved in so many conservative institutions and organizations it may be simpler to list where he hasn’t left a mark.  This conservative man-about-town joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis as they unravel what it means to be a conservative, how Straussians might make peace with Burke, and why Josh shouldn’t be so critical of the Trump administration.   About Steven Hayward Steven F. Hayward is a fellow of the Public Law and Policy Program at Berkeley Law and visiting professor in School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University.   Steven frequently...

info_outline
Roundtable - MAGA Mayhem show art Roundtable - MAGA Mayhem

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The MAGA coalition is comprised of a wide spectrum whose sole unifying idea is Trump himself. But what happens when that precarious foundation begins to fray? Have recent events shown cracks in the MAGA world that could quickly fracture, or is this all a tempest in a teapot? Join Saving Elephant panelists during our livestream to make sense of it all. Panelists include: Josh Lewis (host), Ryan Rogers, Destry Edwards, Scott Howard, and Christopher Chesny

info_outline
183 – Conservative Conservationism with Stephen Perkins show art 183 – Conservative Conservationism with Stephen Perkins

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Younger Americans—regardless of their political affiliations—are increasingly supportive focusing on environmental and conservation issues.  But while there may be renewed unity on recognizing the importance of such issues, the policies advocated by the Left and Right continue to differ.  The (ACC) is a group of young Americans on the political Right standing up for action over activism in their approach to environmental reform.  Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is ACC’s COO, Stephen Perkins, to discuss how economic prosperity and a clean environment don’t...

info_outline
182 – Partying Like It’s 1776 show art 182 – Partying Like It’s 1776

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

On July 6 Saving Elephants assembled an august team of commentators to commemorate the advent of the United States turning the big 2-4-9!  With only one year to go until the nation is 250 years old, the group reflects on the foundational ideas of America, whether she's succeed or failed at those aspirations, and what the future holds for this most exceptional of nations.   Meet the panelists:   Lura Forcum   Lura Forcum leads the , the nation’s go-to organization for information, research, and engagement with independent voters, representing those who are fed up with...

info_outline
181 – Escaping the Housing Trap with Chuck Marohn show art 181 – Escaping the Housing Trap with Chuck Marohn

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The housing market today is in an increasingly unsustainable paradox: younger Americans need houses to be more affordable so that they can become homeowners.  Meanwhile, homeowners and the entire U.S. economy need houses to rise in price to make them a secure and profitable investment.  Thus, we are trapped between making homeownership increasingly difficult or sinking the economy.  Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by president of Strong Towns Chuck Marohn to discuss his latest book: .   About Chuck Marohn From Charles Marohn (known as “Chuck” to friends and...

info_outline
180 – Uncap the House with Jeff Mayhugh show art 180 – Uncap the House with Jeff Mayhugh

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

What if the surest way to reduce the harmful effects of self-serving politicians in Washington D.C. is to have more of them?  Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Jeff Mayhugh to explain how the artificial “cap” the nation put on the number of representatives in the U.S. House almost a century ago has made government less representative and responsive.  Returning to the Founding Father’s understanding of how people might best be represented by their leaders will require a lot of hard work, but it has the potential to benefit all Americans all across the political divide....

info_outline
179 – I, Tony with Tony Woodlief show art 179 – I, Tony with Tony Woodlief

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

What if the real division in America isn’t between Republicans and Democrats, Red States vs Blue States, or liberals and conservatives but between the American people and a small group of the political elite whose function is to divide the rest of us?  Tony Woodlief joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to discuss how we may not be as divided as we think and how federalism holds the solution to many of the policy battles of the moment.   About Tony Woodlief Excerpts from Tony’s bio in the and on his :   Tony Woodlief is State Policy Network’s Senior Executive Vice...

info_outline
178 – Revolt of the Independents with Lura Forcum show art 178 – Revolt of the Independents with Lura Forcum

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The 2024 presidential election witnessed a historic number of independent voters—more independents voted than Democrats and they came close to surpassing Republicans.  It would seem that now is the time for those who are dissatisfied with both parties to dismantle the two-party duopoly of American government.  And yet, the Republican and Democratic parties collectively control all branches of governments at all levels.  Why is that?  What would it mean for Americans to embrace an “independent” politics and how likely is that to occur?  What do independent voters...

info_outline
 
More Episodes
Since the end of a year is dedicated to both reflecting on the past and looking towards the future, I thought it would be apropos to take a look back at where Saving Elephants has been this past year and—more importantly—the state of conservatism in 2019 and beyond.
 
No one wants to be a loser, and these days it seems like conservatives are in full retreat.  Whether that’s a Trump supporter who voted for the president as some last-ditch effort to fight back at the Left as dirty as they were willing to fight us, or conservatives such as myself who see ourselves in the wilderness as we wait for adults to return to the political fray.  But what’s important to keep in mind is that nearly every political tribe feels like it’s losing these days.  You think progressives or liberals or socialists or any other group out there feels as if they have the upper hand?
 
The thing about conservatism is that it has a remarkable ability to endure.  Even when it’s vanquished for a generation it will eventually re-emerge as people grow tired of the latest ideology that comes along and promises salvation.  When the ship of conservatism sinks, it becomes a submarine.
 
It’s easy to forget that—traditionally—conservatism has not been popular.  Real conservatism—not the shallow stuff masquerading as such—has stubbornly insisted that, while we can strive for and, in some cases, obtain a ‘good life’, this world is not perfect and utopia isn’t achievable.  It teaches that there will always be trade-offs in the things we want and that sometimes we have to ‘order our loves’ so that what we naturally want—say, social justice or equality—must necessarily come second place to other, more enduring values.  Perhaps most appallingly, it insists on each of us taking responsibility for our own lives.  Shallow conservatism teaches a version of this, but it usually means talking smack about freeloaders or ‘people who are not us’ not taking sufficient responsibility for their lives.  Real conservatism says we all have a duty to do so, not just the people who don’t look like us or the people we don’t like.
 
In my view, one of the greatest threats to conservatism emerging among young Americans is the widespread distrust of our institutions.  Millennials in particular are far less likely to attend church and have less confidence in our traditional political party establishment that past generations.  I DO NOT mean that this distrust is unwarranted.  But conservatism is all about restoring the institutions that have served us well from generation to generation—not about radical efforts to destabilize the system.  I agree the system is broken.  It’s time to roll up our sleeves and fix it, not tear it apart and just hope that’ll somehow make things better.